Building construction



Patented Nov. 3, v1942 2,300,931 UnmNG CONSTRUCTION Anard A. Lahti, Tacoma, Wash., assignor of three-tenths to H. B. Welch, Tacoma, Wash.,

and three-tenths Wash.

`to A. J. Weberg, Tacoma,

Application December a, 1940, serial No. 368,280

3 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to residence and small building construction, and especially to such a building which may be sold and delivered in packages, but I do not wish to limit it to buildings of any particular size, Plan, or type.

The main object of my invention is to reduce the labor cost in erecting a building. Other objects are to provide a cheap, strong and attractive structure which is adaptable to practically any form of house plan and to which any form of interior finish may be applied; to provide a wall structure which, while simple in construction, is very strong and substantially wind-proof, and which permits a limited expansion or contraction of the walls without loosening any of 'the parts thereof. Another object of my invention is to provide means for holding the sheets of inner plywood'paneling to the building and to form dividing walls or partitions thereof. Further, it is an object of my invention to construct the building substantially entirely of precut and preshaped parts, and to reduce thenumber of such parts to a minimum.

I attain these and other objects by the devices and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichl Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a side wall of a building, taken through a window; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of one form of a corner of such a building and showing particularly the construction of the walls; Fig. 3 is a perspective section drawn to a larger scale, showing the jointure between two of the main wall planks; Fig. 4`

is a horizontal section of `one of the dividing posts or stiles forming a partition wall: Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of one of the stiles used in fastening the plywood finish to the outer walls; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a part of a building wall showing a different form of corner and showing a partition wall; and Fig. '7 is a horizontal section of a portion of the outer wall and showing another form of interior finish for the said outer Wall.

is usually lathed and plastered, or may have plywood or other prepared sheet nish applied thereto, which said finish is often covered with a decorative paperas the final interior finish of the wall. The partition walls usually comprise a similar framework of vertical studding to both sides of which a finish corresponding with that applied to the outer walls is secured. It is obvious that in building the framework as above outlined, as well as in the erecting of the other portions of the walls, each piece has to be carefully measured and cut before it is secured in place and this part of the process of erection is responsible for a large portion of the labor cost of the struc- Similar numerals of reference refer to similar ture. It is the elimination of this skeleton structure which is one of the principal economies responsible for the great saving in labor in my building construction, as shown in the drawings and described below.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that no studding, in the ordinary sense of the word, is found. After the foundations of the structure have been completed and the base structure comprising the jolsts I and headers 2 have been laid thereon and properly secured, a special sill plate or water table 3 is carefully fitted and secured in place. The under side of this sill plate 3 is cut away to provide anv integral flange or drip bead 4 at its lower outer corner. lThis flange 4 is placed tightly against the header 2, whereby the said water table or sill. 3 is quickly and accurately alined, thereby saving the laborers time in tting it in piace. Also this flange l forms a drip part overhanging the header 2, and is provided with a groove or kerf 5 on its under side to prevent the drip water from passing towards the header 2 or the under side of the plate 3.

The upper side of this sill plate 3 is cut downward from the inner corner in four steps 6, 1, 8 and 9. The top inner step 6 comprises a bead or flange extending its entire length' and positioned at the upper inner corner of the sill plate 3, the inner surface of said flange 6 being coplanar with the furring l0 against which the inner finishing material is secured. The horizontal thickness of said flange 6 corresponds with the thickness of the furring I0 on the inside of the wall.

The outer surface of the said flange Sforms a stop against which the inner wall planks are pressed and secured, as hereinafter described.

The second step 'I is of the same width as the thickness of the inner planks of the wall, and may be flat or slightly inclined downward and outward. The outer vertical surface of this step I forms the stop against which the outer wall planks are pressed and secured, as hereinafter described.y

The third step 8 is Vof the same width as the thickness of the outer planks of the wall, and may be flat or slightly inclined downward and outward.

The fourth step 9 forms the water table and is inclined downwardand outward. The vertical surface between this step 9 and the above described step, 8 may be very shallow or may be eliminated so as to make its surface continuous with that on which the outer wall planks rest.

The outer walls of the building are constructed in the following manner: A series of inner vertical planks II are placed with their lower ends resting upon the upper surface of the step 1 of the plate 3 and are alined by being pressed into tight contact with the vertical face of the flange or stop 6. The planks II are spaced between their adjacent edges, as hereinafter described.

A second or outer series of vertical planks I2 are placed with their lower ends resting upon the upper surface of the third step 8 of the sill 3, alternating with the inner planks I I so as to close the spaces between the said planks I I and so that they lap over the edges of the said planks I I, and are alined by being forced into tight contact with the vertical face between the steps 'I and 8 and with the outer sides of the inner planks II, and are secured in place thereon. As clearly shown in the drawings the two sets of planks II and I2 overlap each other at each joint. About the center of each such overlapping area I provide a pair of coordinated grooves I3 and I4. The grooves I3 are made in the outer side of the inner planks I I, parallel with their edges and extending from end to end. Similarly the grooves I4 are made in the inner side of the outer planks I2, parallel with their edges and extending from end to end. The grooves I4 are coordinated with the grooves I3. Both of these sets of grooves I3 and I4 are formed with slightly splayed sides I5 and with' rounded inner ends I6, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

A spline I1 fits in both of the coordinated grooves I3 and I4, tightly engaging the rounded ends I6 thereof, said spline being slightly rounded on its two edges to fit in the said rounded ends of the grooves. The splines I1 do not t tightly, laterally, since the sides I5 of the grooves are slightly splayed, but permit a limited relative motion of the planks I I and I2 without engaging the said sides I5 and without disengaging the ends I6, thus forming a continuous baiile against the entrance of wind through the joint between the planks II and I2, and yet maintaining a. certain amount of flexibility to permit the expansion or contraction of the planks. The splines I1 are made of wood and extend the entire lengths of the planks II and I2. Since these splines I1 would readily split if made of a single length of wood, when the two planks I I and I2 moved sufficiently to pinch the spline between their contacting edges, thus producing a shearing stress therein, I make the splines I1 of three-ply plywood in which the grain of the two face layers runs vertically, parallel with their edges, while the grain of the center ply runs at right-angles thereto or across the jointure of the planks, as shown particularly in Fig. 3. In practice I prefer to make the face plies of the spline I1 about one-half the thickness of the core ply.

The planks II and I2 may be secured together by spaced nails I8 driven from the inside outward at a horizontal angle of about 45 and passing through the spline I1 substantially at its horizontal center. d

The upper ends of the two planks II and I2 are confined within a rabbet I9 formed in the lower side of the lower cap plate 20, the sides of the said rabbet groove I9 being slightly splayed and the ends of said planks tting tightly against the inner end or surface of the groove. The cap plate 20 is in .turn covered by an upper cap plate 2|.

'I'hus it will be seen that the main structural members comprising the wall are formed by the. double row of lapped vertical planks, and that these planks are tightly held in place by the cap 20, and that the splines I1 prevent any wind leakage between the said planks, and that the bottom ends of these planks are alined by means of the steps in the water table. It will also be observed that the cap 20 extends inward from the inner plane of the planks II a distance corresponding with the flange 6 of the sill plate 3 and with the thickness of the furring I0.

Suitable ceiling joists 22, resting upon the upper cap 2|, may now be erected, and then the roof rafters 23 may be erected and the roof 24 constructed thereon. Thesubiloor 25 and the finish oor 26 may be laid at any convenient time after the sill plate 3 has been laid.

One of the advantages of this form of construction is that, though normally the interior of the building would not be erected or finished 'until the exterior walls and roof had been completely erected yet, if it is so desired, the interior finish of the walls and the interior partitions may be constructed along with the erection of the exterior walls, as will be readily understood. It may be observed as demonstrating the economy in time and labor that two carpenters of ordinary skill can erect twenty lineal feet of wall as above described, including window and door casings, per hour.

A cheap but effective interior finish is illustrated in Fig. '1, wherein the interstices between the inner planks I I are lled by vertical rabbeted boards 21, secured to the inner surfaces of the planks I I, the corners of the said planks II entering the grooves or rabbets in the edges of the said boards 21. It will be observed that this construction provides a series of air spaces 28 at the rear of each of the outer planks I2, thereby increasing the heat insulation and providing spaces adapted to receive electric wires, water or other pipes, and other service equipment. The interior partitions will naturally be made with a correspending series of boards to harmonize with the inner finish of the exterior walls.

The preferred interior nish, however, is illustrated particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 in which the inner surface of the exterior walls and the partitions is formed either of single panels of plywood, or of several panels of plywood which appear as single panels by means of sideedge joints made in accordance with my invention fork which U. S. patent has been applied under Serial Number 222,415 and for which a patent has been issued in Canada under date of Nov. 28, 1939, and numbered 385,283. In this case the plywood panels 29 are secured to horizontal furring I0 as well as to the flange 6 of the sill plate 3 at the bottom (Fig. 1) and to the cap plates 20 and 2|, it being understood that the furring I0, the flange 6, and the caps 20 and 2I all lie in the same vertical plane.

However, if it is desired that the interior walls shall have a vertical panel effect, such as is illustrated in Fig. 6, I prefer to separate the panels 30 of plywood by means of stiles 3|, each of which is formed as shown in Fig. 5. In this case the stile 3| is provided with a groove 32 in each edge, adapted to receive the edge of the plywood panel 30, and the under side of this stile' 3| is extended by a lip 33 which extends beyond the width of the front or face side of the stile 3|. The purpose of this construction is that in erecting the panels and stiles, two stiles may be first erected then the panel is inserted in the groove of one stile and then forced into the groove of the other stile by bending the panel and springing it into the groove, and when the panel is so forced it can-` not shoot past the groove in the second stile because it is stopped by the projecting lip 33 of the said second stile otherwise, if there were no such lip provided and if it should happen to pass the groove of the second stile, it would be jammed against the back edge of the second stile and could not be drawn forward to enter the groove of the said second stile.

When the above construction is used for a partition wall the stiles 34 form the studding of the partition and are formed as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. In this case they are made the same on both sides as the stile 3| shown in Fig. 5, being provided with two edge lips 35 extending beyond the edges of the faces 36, and with four grooves 31 bordering each side of each of the lips 35.

In Fig. 2 is shown one form of corner post for,` this building, in which the outer plank |2- of one side is connected to a special form of inner plank 33, having-its connecting groove 39 in its edge, as clearly shown, said groove 39 being coordinated with the groove |4 in the said outer plank l2. Both of these planks |2 and 33 are fastened against the corner post 40. This post 40 has its inner corner cut away to provide two grooves 4| corresponding in alinement with the grooves 32 in the stiles'3l (Fig. 6) and may be joined by a concave molding groove 42. The edges of the panels 30 fit in the grooves 4|.

In Fig. 6 this construction is slightly varied in that the corner planks are both in the outer row. In this case a special outer plank 43 is provided with a groove 44 in its edge, coordinated with the groove |4 in the other outer plank I2. The corner post 45 in this case is slightly smaller in cross-section, being made from a square post,`

but is provided with grooves and molding groove corresponding with those of the post 40.

In erecting a window it will be seen (Fig. 1) that the window sill 46 corresponds on its under side withthe under side of the lower cap plate 20, being rabbeted to receive the upper ends of the shortenedplanks and I2, except that it is 'as wide as the water table 3 and is provided with a drip kerf l in its under side. The window frame is provided with a header 41, which is alined on its inner side with the bead 6, the

furring Il, and the caps 20 and2l, and on its outer side with the header 2 of themain floor. An upper water table 43, exactly corresponding with the water table 3, is secured above this winv dow header 41, and the shortened upper planks and I2 extend upward therefrom as in the rest of the wall. This same construction, except for the lower part, is followed in making the door open ing.

Thus it will be seen that the buildingproduced in accordance with my invention is adapted for substantially any desired floor plan; that itfcan be completely erected of prccut parts; lthat these parts maybe shipped in packages direct from the factory; that there will be substantially no trash left around the building after it is finished; and that the methodA of erection involves merely placing the parts in their proper positions and nailing them together. Also, it will be seen` that, due to the few operations necessary, the walls may be erected with great speed and with low labor cost. and that the building so erected will be free from wind leakage and of low heat conduction, especially in the case of hollow wall construction shown in Figs. 1,2 and 6. Further, it will be seen that the sill 3 and the water table 48 above the window are cut in the same machine, and that other parts are duplicated throughout the building, thereby reducing the number of distinct parts and reducing the cost of manufacture of the parts and the cost of the structure.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. In a building wall construction, thecombi-` nation with a base structure; of a sill secured thereto, said sill having its upper surface progressivelystepped upwards and inclined to form a water table, the inner and higher of said steps forming a furring s'trip for the inner wall surface and a guide stop for aiining the outer wall; and an outer wall formed of two series of vertical planks in contact with each other, the inner of said vertical planks supported by the next step downward and the outer of said vertical planks supported by the third step downward.

2. In a building wall, the combination with a supporting base structure; of an inner series of vertical planks mounted thereon and spaced laterally from'each-other; two grooves in the outer surface of e'ach of said planks and positioned ad jacent to and parallel with their vertical edges, the sides of said grooves being splayed outward; a second or outer series of vertical planks mounted on said base structure and closing the spaces between the planks of the first series; two grooves in the inner surface of each ofsaid second series of planks and positioned adjacent to and parallel with their vertical edges, said second series of planks being positioned to bring each groove therein in coordinated aiinement with the corresponding groove of the rst series of planks, the sides of said grooves being splayed outward to permit slight relative lateral movement of the coordinated grooves; and splines mounted in each such pair of coordinated grooves and crossing the jointure thus formed.

3. In a building wall as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the bottoms of said grooves are curved,

thereby permitting a slight relative lateral movement of the coordinated grooves without pinching said splines and without freeing said splines from contact with the bottom of the, grooves.

ANARD A. LAHTI. 

